A history of Korean art education, 1945--1990: Social context and educational practice

Abstract

This dissertation provides a historical account of art education in Korea from 1945 to 1990. It does this by tracing the political, social, artistic, and educational developments during this period and discussing how these affected art education theory and practice. Chapter I provides a brief chronological overview of Korean art education, a statement of the research problem, research methodology, and a rationale for the study. Chapter II deals with Korean art education in the immediate postwar period, from 1945-1959; Chapter III with art education during the regime of Jung-Hee Park, from 1960-1979; and Chapter IV with art education during the administration of Du-Hwan Jun and Tae-Woo Roh from 1980-1990.^ During all of these periods, art education theory and practice have been affected by political events, government policies, developments in the art world, and educational trends. Korean art education at the end of the second World War began with a model of art education inherited from the Japanese and with a marginal, almost nonexistent role in the school curriculum. During the postwar period, efforts were made to purge Japanese elements, to use art education to support government economic and cultural policies, and to import American art education philosophies into Korean art education, and to establish art education more firmly within the school curriculum.^ All of these efforts have had some impact on art education theory and practice. Nevertheless, art education theory and practice at the end of the 1980s can be traced back to the Japanese occupation period. Change in Korean art education theory and practice has been gradual and evolutionary even though it has responded to political, social, economic, and cultural changes; to trends in the Korean art world; and to educational developments in other parts of world. It has overcome structural and attitudinal problems to become an established, if not a major, subject within the Korean school curriculum. ^